Epiphany celebrations in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro: The Magical Closing of the Christmas Cycle

Azeite a Norte
Jan 6
7 min read

"When January 6th arrives, the villages of Trás-os-Montes prepare for the last great moment of the festive season: Epiphany. It is the culmination of 12 days of celebrations that began at Christmas, where the sacred and the profane intertwine in one of Portugal's most authentic cultural expressions."

Epiphany, or Three Kings' Day, celebrated on January 6th, marks the official end of the Christmas festivities in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro. But unlike other regions where this day passes discreetly, here the villages explode with ancestral rituals that blend Christianity with ancient pagan traditions — the Singing of the Kings, the appearances of the masked figures, the begging for souls, and the last bonfires of the 12-day cycle. [1].

To understand the richness of these celebrations, it is essential to know the context of the Christmas traditions of Trás-os-Montes that precede this moment.

The Song of the Kings: Music, Poetry, and Community

One of the most emblematic and widespread traditions throughout the Trás-os-Montes region is the Singing of the Kings (also known as Reisadas or Songs to the Child). Between the night of January 5th and 6th, groups of friends, neighbors, and family members—the Reiseiros—walk through the streets of villages and towns, from door to door, singing traditional songs that evoke the journey of the Three Wise Men to Bethlehem. [2].

How the ritual works:

Accompanied by traditional instruments such as bagpipes, bass drums, accordions, guitars, and tambourines, the singers perform verses that blend religiosity, humor, and wishes for prosperity. The lyrics vary from village to village, but always maintain the essence: celebrating the birth of Jesus, wishing happy holidays, and invoking a prosperous year. [2].

Some traditional Transmontane squares:

"Here come the three little roses, four or five or six, if you'll allow us, we've come to sing the Kings' songs to you."

"The three kings from the East have arrived in Bethlehem to visit the Christ Child whom Our Lady has."

At the door of each house, the singers are received with generosity: wine, jeropiga (a type of fortified wine), cured meats, chestnuts, regional cakes, and, of course, a generous drizzle of new olive oil to drizzle on freshly baked bread. In exchange for the songs, the inhabitants offer donations of money or in kind, which were traditionally destined for the souls in purgatory or for parish festivities. [3].

Places where this tradition remains alive:

Macedo de Cavaleiros — annually hosts a Kings' Song Festival where more than a dozen groups from different locations in the municipality participate, each with unique melodies and characteristics. [4].
São Pedro da Silva (Miranda do Douro) — The Feast of the Kings and Roscos celebrates a community tradition where the roscos — from their making to the auction of the traditional branch after mass — are the main attraction, guaranteeing the income for the festival. Organized by young, single stewards, the celebration culminates in a popular dance that lasts all night, keeping alive the identity and collective spirit of the community. [5].
Babe (Bragança) — celebrates the Feast of the Three Kings with traditional bagpipers.[6].
Almost all the villages in Trás-os-Montes maintain some form of this ritual, which represents one of the moments of greatest community cohesion of the year.

The Feast of the Kings in Vale de Salgueiro: A Unique Tradition in the World

In the small village of Vale de Salgueiro (municipality of Mirandela), Epiphany takes on a completely unique character.

How the Feast of the Kings unfolds in Vale de Salgueiro:

Every year, a King is crowned to organize the following year's festivities. Preparations begin on December 25th, when the King and his family soak the lupin beans, which will later be cooked. Between Christmas and New Year's, the feast is prepared: wine is bought, and "gold" (jewels borrowed from the inhabitants) is collected throughout the village. [7].

January 5th:

In the late afternoon, the King, his family, and the village youths gather at the entrance to Vale de Salgueiro to await the Bagpipe Group. Upon their arrival, the festivities begin with an initial parade through the village, accompanied by bagpipes and bass drums. During this initial procession, the younger children are permitted to smoke—a tradition that, while controversial, symbolizes the emancipation of the boys and their transition to adulthood. [7].

During the night, the King makes his first visit to all the houses, distributing about 300 kilos of lupin beans and 100 liters of wine. This is followed by a supper offered by the King to all who accompany him. [7].

January 6th:

At 6:00 AM, the bagpipe group plays the reveille. The King dresses: suit, white gloves, crown adorned with gold borrowed from the inhabitants, and carries an ornate staff topped with an orange where four pounds of gold are placed. Thus dressed, the King visits all the houses in the village to the sound of bagpipes and drums, wishing everyone happy holidays and receiving donations to pay for the festivities. [7].

This is followed by a sung mass in honor of Saint Stephen, at which point the King selects his successor—an appointment that, according to the elders, should never be refused under penalty of bad luck.

The Feast of the Kings of Salsas: "Caretos", Bonfires, and the Burning of the Old Year

If there is a village where Epiphany reaches epic proportions, that village is Salsas (municipality of Bragança). Here, the celebration of the Three Kings is inseparable from the "caretos", masked characters who star in one of the most impressive cultural manifestations of Trás-os-Montes. [8].

The Tradition of the Caretos of Salsas:

Between January 1st and 5th, every night, the Caretos of Salsas take to the streets with their masks made of wood, leather, or brass, and colorful fringed wool suits. To the sound of deafening rattles, they roam the village, enter houses, shake the girls (a fertility ritual), steal smoked meats, and create a controlled chaos that amuses and frightens in equal measure. [8].

On the night of the 5th, they do the collection—they collect smoked tobacco from houses to later auction it off. This is followed by a dance and social gathering for the entire population. [8].

January 6th — The climax:

On the 6th, the "caretos" remove their masks and the stewards of the souls go to collect donations for the souls, a religious ritual where carols are sung from house to house in the village, raising money for the masses for the souls. [9].

The highlight occurs in the late afternoon: the Burning of the Old Year. A giant masked figure—usually 7 meters tall, handcrafted from wicker—is burned in a monumental bonfire. This figure, inspired by ancient Celtic rituals (the "wicker man"), contains four "monos" inside that symbolize the four elements of nature (earth, air, fire, water). [8].

By burning the giant "careto", the community symbolically exorcises all the evils of the past year, purifies itself through fire, and prepares to begin anew, cleansed and renewed. Around the bonfire, people sing, dance, eat, and drink until late, celebrating not only Epiphany but also collective identity and ancestral connection to the land. [8].

In recent years, Salsas has hosted an Iberian Meeting of Masked Figures, bringing together more than 18 groups of masked figures from Portugal and Spain, transforming the village into a true epicenter of peninsular masked culture.[10].

The Profound Meaning of the Epiphany Festival

The Epiphany celebrations in Trás-os-Montes are much more than folklore or tourism. They represent:

The closing of the 12-day cycle—the sacred period between Christmas (December 25) and Epiphany (January 6) — is considered a time outside of time, where the veil between the world of the living and the dead is thinnest, and where rituals of purification and renewal become essential. [11].

The fusion between Christianity and paganism — the Three Wise Men are Christian figures, but the rituals that celebrate them—masks, bonfires, begging, offerings—have roots in Celtic and Roman cults of the winter solstice. [1].

Community identity — the Singing of the Kings, the appearances of the masked figures, the begging—are moments that reinforce neighborhood ties, solidarity, and a sense of belonging. In an era of increasing individualism, these traditions show that the strength of a community lies in its ability to celebrate together. [3].

Intergenerational transmission — the elders teach the younger ones the songs, the rituals, the meaning of each gesture. It is through this oral and practical transmission that collective memory is perpetuated and cultural identity survives.

Authentic Experiences to Celebrate the Epiphany Festival

For those seeking to experience these traditions in a genuine way:

Watch the Kings' Song – in practically any village in Trás-os-Montes, on the night of January 5th and the day of January 6th, groups of singers take to the streets. Just arrive, listen, and share.

Participate in the Salsas Kings' Festival – an immersive experience where you can watch the parade of masked figures, the burning of the old year, and feel the energy of a thousand-year-old tradition. Information available at the site of Bragança Municipality.

Discover Vale de Salgueiro — a village where tradition endures and adapts, maintaining the essence of a unique ritual.

Visiting the olive mills and producers — even in early January, many mills and producers keep their doors open for visits and tastings of new olive oil, combining cultural tourism with olive tourism.

Wandering through the villages celebrating the Epiphany — from Babe to Rio de Onor, from Gimonde to Aveleda, each village has its own unique way of celebrating the Three Kings. It's an opportunity to discover a deep, authentic, and profoundly human Portugal.

The Feast of the Kings and the Continuity of Traditions

The Feast of the Epiphany symbolically concludes the Christmas season, but paves the way for the continuation of community life. It is on this day that, traditionally, the nativity scenes are taken down, the last bonfires are extinguished, and the decorations are stored away until the next Christmas.

But the memory remains. The carols, the hugs, the flavors, the warmth of the bonfire, the sound of the rattles—all of this remains until, next year, the cycle is renewed.

"When the last Epiphany carols are sung and the last bonfire is extinguished, the villages of Trás-os-Montes return to the silence of winter. But they carry with them the certainty that there are traditions that endure, memories that last, and an intangible heritage so valuable that it deserves to be lived, celebrated, and passed on to future generations."

Come and experience the Epiphany festivities in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro. Come and feel what it means to belong to a community, honor your ancestors, and celebrate life.